A guide to hiking and all things outdoors in Taiwan

Baiyang Waterfall Revisited

The Baiyang Waterfall Trail in Taroko Gorge is a beautiful and gentle walk that can be done by almost anyone. The hike begins just a bit north of Tianxiang with an eerie walk through an unlit 100m tunnel.

One of the many tunnels on the Baiyang Trail

Last time I was here the first tunnel was shut because of an enormous landslide, and we had to take the tougher route over the mountains from Tianxiang to get to the other side of the tunnel. We walked the rest of the trail only to find the final bridge had been washed away and we couldn’t get over to see the waterfall in full. But, now the tunnel’s been reopened and the final concrete bridge that takes you over to waterfall viewing platform has been rebuilt.

Gorgeous valley below

The trail was originally built by the Taipower company. Back in the 70s and 80s, there was an idea that Taroko Gorge could be dammed for hyroelecttric power and this road was built as part of that project. Luckily the plan never came came to fruition and the national park was left with a great trail.

The trail is popular, but the tour buses don’t seem to come this far up, so it’s not too bad.

The walk follows the old road, passing by a number of tunnels. It’s only about 2 km long, but a very pleasant walk.

The Baiyang Waterfall

Once you reach the concrete bridge, you can go left to see the waterfall or right to get to the Water Curtain Tunnel. When this tunnel was built, water began to cascade into it. It’s a spectacular sight, but rain gear or an umbrella is a must otherwise you’ll end up soaked.

Another shot inside the water curtain tunnel

The trail stops at the other end of the tunnel. I had a quick look and it seems like the road has collapsed in a number of places so that’s as far as you can go.

Hi, this is such a great blog! The pictures are amazing. :) My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Taipei & Hualien areas in late Dec, and we’re hoping to get some advice on hiking trails. We are very amateur really, the biggest achievement thus far was hiking up Bukhansan in Seoul during summertime, which is about 800m high. We’re from Singapore, so we’re really not that great with colder climate too! We’re looking for one-day return trails, and will be eternally grateful to have some suggestions. Do share your experiences should you have some time to spare. Meantime, keep up with this super awesome blog! :) Thanks.

Welcome!

I keep track of nearly all my adventures in Taiwan here. Please feel free to email me if you need anymore information about any of the posts, itineraries, trails etc.... Thanks for reading and happy trails!

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